It is time once again for the senior appointments round-up, let’s get busy;
GATELEY SMITHERS PURSLOW
Gateley Smithers Purslow, the multidisciplinary surveying, engineering and architecture practice arm of professional services group, Gateley, has expanded its Midlands presence with the appointment of David Kellaway as a regional manager in Birmingham.
Chartered building surveyor, Kellaway, brings 20 years of experience following roles with Rider Levett Bucknall and Arcadis. He has worked in Birmingham throughout his career, providing surveying, project management and contract administration services for complex projects across the public, commercial and healthcare sectors. He also has vast experience in mentoring and supporting graduates with the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) process on the RICS Building Surveying pathway.
McLARENS
Global claims services provider McLarens has appointed Danny Miller as Chief Global Strategy Officer (CGSO), a newly created role within the firm’s Global Management Team (GMT). This strategic addition to the leadership team reflects McLarens’ continued growth and commitment to global expansion, innovation, and operational excellence across all markets.
Willis, a WTW company (NASDAQ: WTW), today announced the appointment of Adrian Cousins as Head of London Market Claims.
In this new role, Cousins will be responsible for overseeing and implementing key aspects of Willis’ global claims strategy, including strategic engagement with London market insurers, reinsurers, adjusters and law firms.
Cousins will report to Neil Harrison, Global Head of Claims. In addition to the Head of London Market Claims role, Cousins will continue to serve as Head of Claims for FINEX in GB, Western Europe and internationally, reporting to Jeremy Wall, Global Head of FINEX.
BROADSTONE
Broadstone, a leading independent UK consultancy delivering expert advice to employers, insurers, pension scheme trustees and lenders, today announces the appointment of Rob Kerry as Actuarial Director. Rob joins Broadstone’s Insurance, Regulatory and Risk division within its Life Insurance team which delivers a range of actuarial and consulting services to the market.
He brings over 40 years of experience to Broadstone from the senior roles he has held at major insurers like Equitable Life, Pearl Assurance, and Aviva. Most recently, Rob was Chief Actuary at Utmost Life and Pensions where he was instrumental in Utmost’s entry into the bulk purchase annuity (BPA) market.
Rob’s appointment enhances Broadstone’s capacity in regulated roles, supports its With-Profits, product and M&A expertise and helps expand its already broad range of services in the life insurance market, building on the acquisition of BPA specialists ExactVAL announced in June 2025.
BMS
BMS, the independent insurance and reinsurance broker, is pleased to announce the appointment of Cory Wilson to the role of Director. Cory Wilson will join the Canadian Retail team, effective immediately, and will report directly to Dan Reid, Managing Director, BMS Canada.
Wilson joins from Halpenny, where he spent five years, holding the role of Vice President. He has also previously spent time in roles at Aon and QBE. In his new role, Wilson will be responsible for the ongoing strategic development of BMS’s retail operations in Canada. Wilson will seek to build new relationships, whilst continuing to strengthen those which BMS has engaged with in the past.
FAIRER FINANCE
Fairer Finance has appointed Helene Brichet as Chair of its Consumer Advisory Board (CAB). Helene steps into the role with a distinguished track record in senior finance positions across major international firms.
Helen previously served as a CAB member for four years. Other board members include Walter Merricks OBE and Caroline Barr. Helene will replace Chris Pond as Chair, as he steps away to chair the FCA’s Financial Services Consumer Panel.
Helene brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in global financial services, having held senior finance roles at Barclays Bank, Visa, and EVO Payments. Most recently, she was CFO of Capital One UK, contributing to growth, digitalisation, and customer outcomes in the UK credit card market.
BARNETT WADDINGHAM
Leading professional services consultancy Barnett Waddingham (BW) today announces the appointment of Rob Byett as Chief Risk Officer, as it underscores its commitment to enhanced risk management and compliance. Rob brings over two decades of industry experience to the role, having held senior risk and compliance roles across the financial services sector, including Group Compliance Director at Jelf Group, and several years at Deloitte, advising professional service sector clients.
Rob’s appointment is effective immediately and represents part of BW’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence and its ongoing strategic growth as part of Howden. BW was acquired by the global insurance and employee benefits intermediary group in April.
CONSILIUM
Consilium, the global speciality (re)insurance broking business of the Aventum Group, has announced the appointment of Peter Coleman to its senior leadership team, as the business continues to execute ambitious growth plans.
Peter will join Consilium following the completion of his notice period at Guy Carpenter Facultative, where he has spent the past six years, latterly as Managing Director & Global Head of Placement. Prior to this, he held senior positions at Agora Syndicate and Ironshore, building a broad and respected track record across the London Market.
An experienced and well-regarded market professional, Peter brings deep expertise in specialty insurance and will play a pivotal role in supporting Consilium’s expansion into new and emerging lines of business.
FLOOD RE
Flood Re has confirmed a raft of changes to its senior executive team following the appointment of Perry Thomas as CEO in February this year. The new team reflects moves by the reinsurer to ensure that it can continue to deliver on its core mission in the wake of the increasing impacts of climate change – to promote the affordability and availability of home insurance for householders living in the highest flood risk areas of the UK; and to manage the transition of the insurance market to risk-reflective pricing by its exit in 2039.
The Flood Re Board has appointed Latinka Pilipovic as Chief Financial Officer and Board member, as of 1 August, subject to regulatory approval.
A qualified Chartered Accountant, Latinka has over 25 years’ experience working across the UK financial services industry, most recently as CFO for Guardian Financial Services. She has also held senior roles at Foresters Financial UK, Legal & General, and Aviva. She is also a trustee of two charities, Forward Arts Foundation and Calm Mediation.
Following Latinka’s appointment, interim CFO Dave Dunning will step down from the role after a handover period.
Dan Byrne, currently Chief Risk Officer, has been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer. Dan, who joined Flood Re in 2016 and has been CRO since 2017, previously worked at AIG in an Enterprise Risk Management role. Dan will continue in his role as CRO until an interim is confirmed shortly.
Max Bero, presently Director of Operations, has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer (subject to regulatory approval). A Chartered Internal Auditor, Max originally joined Flood Re at its formation in 2016, having previously held related roles at QBE Insurance (Europe), RSA and Deloitte.
LIBERTY SPECIALTY
Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has announced the appointment of Benjamin Faerestrand as UK High Net Worth (HNW) Household Underwriter to spearhead LSM’s launch into the HNW market. Reporting to James Garthwaite, Senior Underwriter, Fine Art & Specie (FAS), Faerestrand is based in London. His appointment is effective immediately.
LSM’s strategic entry into UK HNW demonstrates a commitment to building a differentiated Lloyd’s proposition in the market, to be delivered predominantly via the Lloyd’s platform across both open market and delegated authority channels.
Faerestrand will be responsible for helping define and execute the UK HNW business plan, including underwriting guidelines, product development, broker relationship management, and new business development. In this role he will work closely with our FAS teams in Europe & the US, strengthening Liberty’s capabilities for HNW clients who have particular needs across international markets.
Also, Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has announced the appointment of Pierre-Edouard Fraigneau as president, Europe. Currently the chief underwriting officer (CUO), LSM Europe and Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe, Fraigneau will begin his new role on 1st September and will continue to be based in Luxembourg. He succeeds incumbent president Kadidja Sinz and will continue to work closely with her until her retirement at the end of 2025.
Fraigneau joined Liberty as CUO in 2020. He was closely involved in developing Liberty’s Invest in Europe 2030 strategy and as president of the region he will be responsible for driving its delivery. Liberty in Europe has grown significantly since establishing a presence in the region, driven by a consistent focus on underwriting quality and claims service. With twelve offices in seven countries, and more set to open in the future, Liberty is committed to investing in Europe.
RIVERSTONE
RiverStone International Holdings (Riverstone) is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Brockman as group chief executive officer to succeed Luke Tanzer who will be retiring later this year. It has also announced the appointment of Andrew Creed as group president in addition to his role as group chief financial officer.
In a statement the board of Riverstone said: “The board would like to thank Luke for his enormous contribution as group CEO of RiverStone over the past 16 years from its time as part of the Fairfax Group and then as an independent company since the change in ownership to funds managed by CVC in 2021. During his leadership the group has grown from a UK-focused business into a global leader in non-life run-off insurance, while maintaining the strength of its culture and focus on relationships with all stakeholders.”
VICTOR INSURANCE
Victor Insurance, a leading global managing general underwriter (MGU) and a business of Marsh, has announced the appointment of Mark Damico as President and Chief Operating Officer of Torrent Technologies, Victor’s flood insurance technology and services business in the US, effective July 31, 2025. He will succeed Kevin Tobin, who is retiring after over 35 years of service in the industry.
As President, Mr. Damico will be responsible for Torrent’s integrated suite of business software platforms along with the company’s customer-focused service and support solutions, which support insurance providers offering the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as “Write Your Own” (WYO) carriers and a growing suite of private flood insurance options to homeowners and businesses across the United States. He will also retain his current role as COO, leading business operations and product development to drive sustainable growth for the company. Based in Brookfield, WI, Mr. Damico will report to Charles Williamson, CEO of Victor.
AXA GLOBAL HEALTHCARE
AXA Global Healthcare has appointed James Swatton as Senior Distribution Leader in Asia, effective immediately, as part of its ongoing expansion in the region.
James is tasked with further strengthening and expanding AXA Global Healthcare’s Hong Kong team, driving growth into new regional markets, and collaborating closely with partners and internal stakeholders. His appointment brings specialist knowledge of the international private medical insurance (IPMI) landscape in Asia, which will help AXA Global Healthcare to unlock new opportunities and reinforce its growing presence across the region.
ARCH
Arch Capital Group Ltd. (Arch) has announced the promotion of Ondine Bourrut Lacouture to Active Underwriter of Arch Syndicate 1955 at Lloyd’s.
Ondine succeeds Simon Williams, who had served as the Active Underwriter of Syndicate 1955 since it was acquired by Arch in 2019. Williams will continue in his role as Chief Strategy and Distribution Officer of Arch Insurance International, which he has held since 2018.
“We congratulate Ondine on her promotion,” said Jerome Halgan, President and Chief Underwriting Officer of Arch Reinsurance Group. “It’s a tribute to her underwriting acumen and our belief in her ability to meaningfully and thoughtfully continue to grow Syndicate 1955.”
INNOCENT DRIVER
Innocent Driver is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Taylor as strategic board advisor. Paul joins the business at a pivotal time, bringing with him over two decades of strategic and operational leadership in the insurance and legal services sector.
As Director of Platinum78 Consulting Limited, Paul advises businesses on operational transformation, service delivery and strategic development. His approach is hands-on, collaborative and focused on aligning people, process, and purpose. Most recently, as Chief Operating Officer at Minster Law, he led service and operational strategy during a significant period of digital transformation. His leadership has been instrumental in shaping a customer-centric claims model and delivering first class service for insurance partners.
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